Wednesday’s political round-up

September 13, 2006

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There were primary results o’ plenty yesterday. A quick rundown of high-profile, statewide races include Chafee’s victory in Rhode Island, Cardin’s win in Maryland, Clinton and Spitzer cruising in New York, Pawlenty and Hatch winning in Minnesota, and Rainville and Tarrant coasting to easy victories in Vermont.

* In California, a new Rasmussen poll shows Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) leading Democratic Phil Angelides by eight points, 47% to 39%. That a slight loss for Angelides since last month, when he was trailing by six. California’s Senate race is far less competitive — Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) now leads Republican challenger Richard Mountjoy, 58% to 35%.

* Texas’ bizarre four-way gubernatorial race seems is still anyone’s contest according to new Rasmussen poll. Results released this morning show Gov. Rick Perry (R) leading with 33% support, followed by state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn (I) in second with 22%, former Rep. Chris Bell (D) at 18%, and entertainer Kinky Friedman (I) at 16%.

* Things certainly appear to be looking up for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), who for months appeared to be vulnerable against Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka. Two new statewide polls show the incumbent’s modest lead now in double-digits. A Chicago Tribune/WGN poll shows Blagojevich leading Topinka, 45% to 33%, with Rich Whitney (Green) in third with 6% support. A new Rasmussen poll shows Blagojevich leading a similar margin, 48% to 36%.

* And in South Carolina, Gov. Mark Sanford (R) seems to have recovered from his early-summer stumbles and now leads state Sen. Tommy Moore (D) in the latest Rasmussen poll, 51% to 38%. Sanford had not cracked the 50% threshold in recent months.

Too bad Chafee won, but the article in the Providence Journal (see CB’s link) was excellent (well written). Too often today, what passing for journalism on television and in the big city dailies just sucks.

  • Clinton won, yes, but despite no money, no name recognition, no advertising, and none of the blog support that Lamont got, the anti-war candidate Tasini still drew 16%, twice as much as was predicted. Don’t know if it was anti-incumbent, anti-war, or anti-Hillary, but it is worth noting.

  • In California, Angelides’ campaign staff just admitted to ripping off (unauthorized downloading) of an audio tape of the Governator, and then leaking it to the LA Times. This was the tape in which Schwarzenegger is heard talking about the “hot” Latina temprament of a female legislator. It was supposed to embarrrass Arnold, but he skillfully deflected it. Looks like it’s going to wind up being a major black eye for Angelides. I’m pretty much resigned to four more years of living in Cauleefonya.

  • It’s too bad that Joe Lieberman didn’t have the grace to react to HIS lost Democratic primary race as Mfume. Now that’s CLASS!

    At the link given about Cardin’s win in the Democratic primary:

    “I know that we are united,” Cardin told the Associated Press. He said he and Mfume “ran a campaign that wasn’t about our election, it was about November’s election. We need to change the direction of the country. We had two people running who shared the same commitment.”

    Mfume had appeared before his supporters shortly after 1:30 a.m. and all but conceded the race, calling Cardin his friend and saying that “he’ll be a damn good senator.”

  • How do you make a racist comment about Latino and African American women and play it off? I’ll never know. What kind of idiot records it and saves it for posterity?

    I feel for you Jim.

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